For the fourth year in a row, Gainesville High School has been identified by U.S. News and World Report as one of "America's Best High Schools."  For the past four years, the magazine has examined the nation's high schools, and Gainesville High School has ranked among the best every year.

"We are very pleased," said Gainesville R-V Superintendent Bill Looney. "Our teachers and students have consistently performed well on the MAP tests as well as on the Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP). It's nice to be recognized as one of the top schools in the state and nation."

A ranking system developed by School Evaluation Services (a K-12 education data research and analysis business run by Standard & Poor's) was used. Data from 18,743 public high schools in 49 states was analyzed. Of those schools, 1,750 (9.3 percent) were recognized as being the country's best. Only 41 of those recognized were in Missouri. Other nearby schools recognized include Conway, Hollister, West Plains and Winona. Of the 41 Missouri high schools recognized, Gainesville is one of only ten schools that have been recognized as "America's Best" all four years.

U.S. News first evaluated how each school's students were performing on state-mandated tests in math and communication arts  compared to their state's average scores in those areas.  It then evaluated how each school's disadvantaged students performed compared to the state average for similar students. GHS's performance on these two criteria earned it "bronze medal" status.  

To be considered for a gold or silver medal, schools were evaluated on the number of seniors who took "Advanced Placement" courses and how they performed on the AP tests. Gainesville currently does not offer AP courses, opting instead to provide several dual enrollment courses so that its juniors and seniors can earn up to 13 college credits while still in high school.

"Quality Learning Today for Tomorrow"

We will commit our financial, educational, and personnel resources to equip all students with the skills and knowledge necessary to develop to their fullest potential as self-motivated, life-long learners.

The Gainesville R-V School District is "fully accredited" and has A+ designation. Our campus is approximately 1.5 miles east of Gainesville in southwest Missouri between highways 160 and 181. 

The 61-acre campus includes the high school built in 1962, the junior high wing added in 1971, and the new elementary school completed in 1995.  The school district covers 339 square miles and serves several rural communities including Thornfield, Wasola, Tecumseh, and Pontiac. 

Board of Education Policy Manual  

School Closing Information

Curriculum Director

School History

GHS Graduates  

Graduate Composite Pictures        

Superintendent Looney attributes the school's success to several factors. "We have an excellent student/teacher ratio, we have a committed faculty with high expectations, and we have supportive parents and community members. We also spend a lot of time analyzing data from previous years to identify our strengths and weaknesses so we know where we need to make improvements."    

"We know we have outstanding, dedicated teachers in our high school," said co-principal Karen Eubank. "But we also know that the learning process doesn't begin in the ninth grade; our junior high and elementary teachers lay the foundation, and they share the credit in providing our students with a quality education." Click here to see the complete article.